Day 1
On arrival in Nairobi you will be met by a representaive of the Express Travel Group who will go over your itinerary with you and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight Nairobi Serena Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

The Nairobi Serena is situated in the lush gardens surrounding Nairobi's Central Park. Here, you can enjoy quiet and peaceful moments away from the bustling city and yet remain within walking distance of it. The superlative accommodation, excellent cuisine, impeccable service and luxurious facilities have all contributed to the Nairobi Serena acquiring the status of being a member of the "Leading Hotels of the World". Fully air conditioned, a variety of restaurants and a magnificent swimming pool ensure that your stay here will be a treat !

Day 2
Depart on safari after breakfast. Leave Nairobi, heading north through a patchwork of coffee plantations and small farms towards Mount Kenya and the highlands. Continue deep into the forests of Mount Kenya for overnight at Mountain Lodge on a full board basis.

Mountain Lodge, located in the forest reserve of the Mount Kenya foothills, offers the best spot for game-viewing in this area. This tree hotel sits right in the heart of the rainforest. Buffalo, antelope, elephant, and sometimes lion, leopard and rhino are visitors to the floodlit waterhole, while mischievous Sykes monkeys clamber along the roof and ledges. All rooms have balconies overlooking the waterhole, and a night watchman will wake you without fail if one of the animals you have asked about appears. At 2,195m nights are chilly so do bring warm clothes.

Day 3
Descend from the lush highlands into the Rift Valley with its stunning volcanic landscapes. Lunch at a lodge overlooking Lake Nakuru. Afternoon birdwatching around Lake Nakuru, seasonal home to millions of Flamingo and a multitude of other birdlife. Lake Nakuru now also contains prolific wildlife and is one of the best places in East Africa to see Rhino. Overnight at Sarova Lion Hill on a full board basis.

Lake Nakuru offers one of the world's most spectacular wildlife sights, that of brilliant pink flamingos as far as the eye can see. When conditions are right, between one and two million lesser and greater flamingos feed around the shores of the shallow soda lake, together with tens of thousands of other birds. The best place to view the birds is from Baboon Cliff, where you can look out over the dazzling fringe of pink around the lake's shores. Lake Nakuru was declared a national park in 1961 and it now covers an area of some 200 km². Here you will also see warthog, waterbuck and large numbers of impala. Other slightly shyer residents include buffalo, Rothschild giraffe, eland, lion, leopard and black rhino. It goes without saying that this is a bird watchers paradise.

Set on a plateau in the Rift Valley, overlooking one of the world's greatest ornithological spectacles, Lake Nakuru, stands Sarova Lion Hill. Beautifully landscaped with natural foliage and a startling variety of flower gardens, the Lodge offers luxurious accommodation complemented by delicious cuisine. The panoramic view from the Lodge reveals a shimmering pink glow across the Lake, created by millions of flamingos, pelicans and Marabou Storks. The park is also the sanctuary for the rare black rhino, leopard, waterbuck and other species of birds. Accommodation consists of 65 beautifully appointed chalet type bedrooms facing the lake, all offering porticos and private bathrooms. Other amenities include restaurnat, bar, swimming pool, sauna, and curio shops. Traditional dancers regale with their splendid performances.

Day 4
A morning drive to the Masai Mara game reserve, passing by the dormant Longonot volcano and arriving in time for lunch at a Lodge. Continue during the afternoon through the reserve, game-viewing en route until you reach your lodge. Overnight at Mara Serena on a full board basis.

Set in the heart of Africa's Great Plains, the Masai Mara boasts 1,672 square kilometres of unspoilt wilderness. It is home to the highest concentration of animals and birds anywhere on the continent. Throughout the year the Mara is a place of natural drama, a kaleidoscope of colour and life. The famed "Big Five" - Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Buffalo and Leopard - roam the reserve, together with hundreds of others from the fastest animal on earth, the Cheetah, to one of the most secretive, the Bat-eared Fox. After the rains, when the first flush of grass turns the Mara's golden savannah green, the mesmerising wildlife spectacle anywhere takes place here: the Great Migration. This is the time when 1.5 million Wildebeest, accompanied by vast numbers of Zebra and Gazelles make the long and dangerous trek from drier lands in Tanzania, northwards to this corner of Kenya. For most of the century the Mara has drawn those searching for adventure and the thrill is still the same today with days spent face to face with nature at its most untouched and enthralling.

The Mara Serena Lodge is built high up on a ridge overlooking the Mara River and offers one of the most spectacular views of all the Masai Mara Lodges. Inspired architecturally by Masai huts, the lodge has a pool, its own airstrip and a hippo-viewing platform by the river. Each of its own 76 bedrooms has its own bathroom and shower as well as a panoramic outlook, even from the pool one can enjoy uninterrupted views of the rolling savannah.

Day 5
A full day of game-viewing in the Mara. An optional balloon safari, guided nature walk or breakfast in the bush may also be booked in advannce. Overnight at Mara Serena on a full board basis.

Day 6
An early breakfast and drive to the shores of Lake Victoria, crossing into Tanzania at Isebania. Lunch at the lodge overlooking Lake Victoria. Optional late afternoon motor boat cruise. Overnight at Speke Bay lodge on a full board basis.

The second largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Victoria geographically dominates the area with its 70,000 sq km surface. Despite its huge size, the murky lake is not that deep - only 100 metres at its deepest. Although it borders on three countries - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda - it is no longer possible to travel between these countries via the lake. The basin is home to the Luo people, who moved into the area from Sudan in the 15th century and are now Kenya's third largest ethnic group. Although Western Kenya does not attract many tourists and is blissfully free of safari minibuses. It is the most densely populated area in the country and the most productive. With gentle hills and emerald tea plantations, it is also very pretty.

Speke Bay Lodge is located on the south-eastern shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. It is 15 kilometres from the Serengeti National Park,and 125 kilometres north of Mwanza. Speke Bay is part of Speke Gulf, named after the famous explorer John Hanning Speke, who, in 1858, discovered Lake Victoria to be the source of the Nile. Embraced by savannah, the Lodge looks like a small village, stretched out along the shores of the lake. The main buildings and luxury accommodation are round in form, built to perfection, painted white and thatched with a grass roof in the traditional style of the local tribe, the Sukuma. Excursions in boats and on mountain bikes are offered, so you can truly experience Africa; you can fish from the beach for Tilapia, go out in a boat to catch Nile perch, or wander around on the Lodge's 100 hectares of savannah, looking for birds.

Day 7
After breakfast clients will be collected by local fisherman in their canoes for a trip to a nearby village, accompanied by a guide from the lodge. Explore the village, meet people and listen to the fisherman singing as they bring in their overnight catch. Return to the lodge and depart for Serengeti with a stop for a picnic lunch. Afternoon drive through Serengeti Western corridor, game-viewing en route to your lodge. Overnight Serengeti Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world. "Serengeti" means "endless plains" in the Masai language, and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals can be seen here including the so called "big five" - elephant, rhino, lion (more than 2,000 of them), leopard and buffalo. During the wet season, November to May, most of the plains game congregate in Southern Serengeti, followed by their attendant predators. Some time in May or June the herds migrate North and West in search of water. They remain in North Serengeti and the western corridor during the dry season, July-October, returning South again as the November rains approach. The Wildebeest calving takes place on the short grass plains during late December - early February. In their wake follow the predators; lion cheetah and hunting dogs with vultures circling overhead. Other common species found here include hippo, giraffe, eland, impala and other antelope types, baboons, monkeys and a profusion of almost 500 bird species.

Serengeti Serena Lodge is set high on a hill with breathtaking vistas of a landscape teeming with game. The wildlife defines the Serengeti - countless zebra, buffalo, gazelle, wildebeest, and other species make it their home. Big game feed in full view of the lodge itself. The terrain is the main stage for the great wildebeest migrations, an awesome spectacle involving millions of these beasts. The lodge design is simple but stunning. Inspired by a traditional African village, separate rondavel "huts" house the luxury guest rooms. From the overall impression to the smallest detail, the lodge is rich in local atmosphere created by indigenous handicrafts and art.

Day 8
Morning and afternoon game-viewing in the Serengeti. Look out for leopard along the riverine forest or marvel at the vast herds of wildebeest and zebra out on the plains. While lion and cheetah may be spotted lurking around the rocky Kopjes. Overnight at the Serengeti Serena Lodge on a full board basis.

Day 9
Morning game-viewing in Serengeti park and drive to Ngorongoro with a picnic lunch en route. Stop at Olduvai Gorge. Located within the Ngorongoro Conservation area is the Olduvai Gorge, 180 kilometres from Arusha. It was here that Dr Louis Leakey discovered the remains of Homo habis or "Handy man" regarded as mankind's first step on the ladder of human evolution. But many more fossils have been discovered here including those of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep and enormous ostriches. Guides operate lecture tours of the sites. Spend two nighs at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on an a full board basis.

Listed by Unesco as a world heritage site, the incomparable Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest "caldera". A caldera is the broad, crater-like basin of a volcano formed by the collapse of the central cone. Dominated by cliffs standing some 600 meters high and presenting a sheer drop down to a wide open space of some 264 square km, the crater is one of the most amazing sights seen anywhere. The Crater is home to 25,000 larger mammals, almost half of them zebra and wildebeest. There are also gazelle, buffalo, eland, hartebeest and wart hog. Such vast numbers attract predators a plenty, mainly lion and hyena but also cheetah and leopard. More than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted here. Countless flamingos form a pink blanket over the soda lakes.

The road around the Ngorongoro Crater sits at 2250 metres above sea level and offers breath-taking views. And just as overwhelming is the view from the private terrace of each of the guest rooms at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. It is an unforgettable experience to sit looking into the early history of mankind and at the same time appreciate the luxury of the modern lodge.

Day 10
Morning game-viewing in the crater with picnic lunch. The wonderful variety of wildlife and stunning landscapes make Ngorongoro one of the great natural phenomenons of this world. Overnight Ngorongoro Serena Lodge on an a full board basis.

Day 11
Morning drive to Arusha for lunch at Arusha Coffee Lodge. Transfer to either Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport in time for your onward flight.